Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University (RMLNLU), Lucknow has confirmed that it does not currently hold Bar Council of India (BCI) approval and that its affiliation certificate has not been renewed since the academic year 2022-23, even as it continues to admit students.

In a letter dated June 2, 2026, signed by Assistant Registrar Dr Mridul Srivastava and addressed to Bar & Bench, the University said that its renewal application had been submitted and the requisite fees paid, but the approval letter "from 2023 onwards is pending at BCI end." The University added that it was "surprising for the university too that why BCI is not granting approval."

The letter was in response to queries sent by Bar & Bench on May 29, 2026, following a student protest at RMLNLU over, among other grievances, the institution's absence from the BCI's list of recognised law schools.

The documents attached to the University's response reveal that the last BCI approval letter on record is dated August 29, 2022, granting provisional temporary approval for the five-year BA.LL.B. (Hons) course only for the academic year 2022-23. No fresh approval has followed.

Internal correspondence attached to the University's reply shows that RMLNLU has been writing to BCI's Legal Education Department repeatedly seeking issuance of the approval letter.

A letter dated May 12, 2026 flagged the case of a student from the 2012-17 batch who was facing difficulty registering with the National Committee on Accreditation in Canada owing to the absence of a current BCI approval letter. An earlier letter in April noted that students were facing enrolment problems with State Bar Councils and the BCI.

The University's BCI portal dashboard also shows that its application for extension of approval for the BA.LL.B. (Hons.) course for the 2023-24 session onwards was submitted on April 1, 2026 after payment of ₹6,50,000 in fees, including a late fee component. A further application for the 2026-27 session was submitted approximately two months ago and remains pending.

The University's response to Bar & Bench was itself copied to BCI's Joint Secretary, with a request to "kindly expedite the approval as soon as possible."